The times they`re for a-changin`

The times they’re for a-changin’
As far back as “Queen for a Day” and perhaps further, television shows have sought to improve the lot of ordinary people. Below are some
makeover shows of current vintage; in two cases, The Learning Channel has updated successful British shows that now appear on BBC America.
SHOW
NETWORK WHAT CHANGES
WHO CHANGES IT
COMMENT
Becoming
MTV
A music fan’s
appearance
Makeup, fashion consultants
The fan, as his/her favorite singer,
re-creates the star’s classic video.
Buff
Brides
Discovery
Health
Two brides
Personal trainer
Each bride undertakes a 16-week
course of physical and nutritrional
training. Premieres Oct. 6.
Date
Patrol
TLC
A sad-sack dater
Coaches in style and verbal
A month to turn an unsuccessful
and non-verbal communication dater into a hot property. Premieres
Sept. 20.
Extreme
Makeover
ABC
Willing participants
Team of plastic surgeon, eye
Viewers watch people with
surgeon, cosmetic dentist, hair imperfections go under the knife and
and makeup artists, stylists,
emerge happy ever after.
and personal trainers
Facing
Fame
E!
A fan’s appearance
Makeup, fashion consultants
The fan, as his/her favorite, visits
Hollywood haunts to experience life
as the star.
Faking It
BBC
America
A “faker” learning a
new job or lifestyle
Three mentors
After four weeks, fakers try to
convince a panel they are what they
tried to become.
Faking It
TLC
A “faker” learning a
new job or lifestyle
Two mentors, other aides
After four weeks, fakers try to
convince a panel they are what they
tried to become.
A Makeover
Story
TLC
Two friends, family
Various stylists
members, or spouses
Viewers tag along as pair gets made
over for a big event.
A Second
Look
Style
Homeless, addicted,
or otherwise
troubled person
Advisers of all sort
The help goes far beyond wardrobe
and cosmetics to legal, medical, job,
and family-relations aid.
Style
Court
Style
A fashion
“defendant”
Judge, three-celebrity jury
Sentence is a makeover. Premieres
Aug. 4.
Switched
ABC Family Two teenagers
Show producers
Teens unknown to each other swap
places for a few days.
What Not
to Wear
BBC
America
A fashion victim
Two dishing fashion journalists
The deal: $3,000 for new clothes in
exchange for sharp-edged critiques.
What Not
to Wear
TLC
A fashion victim
Host, various stylists
The deal: $5,000 for new clothes in
exchange for sharp-edged critiques.
ABC’s “Extreme
Makeover” gives
participants a wide
range of surgical and
cosmetic help to
see what will result.
At left (before) and
right is Karen, 44, an
ermergency-room
nurse from Arkansas.
SOURCES: ABC, ABC Family, The Learning Channel, Discovery Health, BBC America, Style
Andy Morter, an off-road enthusiast
from Wisconsin, was the star of “From
Drag Racer to Drag Queen,” an episode
of the American version of “Faking It,”
which appears on the Learning Channel.
Matt Sereni of Los Altos, Calif., spent
a few days with the birds in Pukalani,
Hawaii, as a participant on “Switched,”
the ABC Family show in which
teenagers who don’t know each other
swap places.
GLOBE STAFF GRAPHIC/MICHAEL PRAGER